A Wayside Tavern

A Wayside Tavern tells the story of a Suffolk drinking place from the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, until the present day. The Roman veteran, crippled and left behind, worshipped Mithras, so the place became known as the One Bull and down through the centuries it became a clearing house for contraband, a miniature Hell Fire Club, a fashionable hotel, a mere pub. Across the yard, was the church of St Cerdic, king and martyr, who fought the Danes and was famous for the miracles performed at his shrine.

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Publisher's Summary

A Wayside Tavern tells the story of a Suffolk drinking place from the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, until the present day. The Roman veteran, crippled and left behind, worshipped Mithras, so the place became known as the One Bull and down through the centuries it became a clearing house for contraband, a miniature Hell Fire Club, a fashionable hotel, a mere pub. Across the yard, was the church of St Cerdic, king and martyr, who fought the Danes and was famous for the miracles performed at his shrine. His remains were lost in the Reformation but something remained. Inside the inn, despite all external changes, one passion raged – to retain possession.

An enjoyable story that jumps through history with some interesting characters and situations. I found the characters in the later chapters less developed and interesting than previous chapters. The later periods were rushed through and left me feeling like I was being hurried to the end. Jonathan Keeble performs admirably with a wide array of accents. I had just finished listening to Edward Rutherfurd's epic novel 'Sarum' before starting listening to this book;perhaps I would have enjoyed the novel more if I had waited. If you enjoy this book I recommend Sarum.

Not her best but still enjoyed the story. I really like her work, I only wish there were more on audio. I just ordered a bunch of hard cover books by Lofts but I never have the time to read them. Anyhow, I enjoyed this one, the jumping through time is interesting. I do like that you see how it progresses through the years and having a history laid out before you.

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